Facts About School Attendance
While the Becca Law specifically addresses unexcused absences and "truancy", it is important to understand that all absences, whether they’re excused or unexcused, can put students at risk of falling behind.
Did you know?
Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade or be held back.
By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
9th grade attendance can be a better predictor of drop out than 8th grade test scores.
Attendance matters.
Chronic Absenteeism is a term that describes absences that have caused the student to miss ten percent (10%) of the school year, for any reason.
Chronic absence is an early warning indicator that a student will fall behind academically and drop out of school.
Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school year for any reason negatively affects a student’s academic performance.
10 percent of the school year is 18 days in most school districts- That’s just two days a month.
The academic impact of missing that much school is the same whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Suspensions also add to lost time in the classroom.
Absences add up fast.
Nationwide, more than 25% of students identified as having disabilities are chronically absent, compared to about 15% of their peers (Jordan, P. .Attendance Playbook, Smart strategies for reducing chronic absenteeism in the Covid era, 2020)
Compared to their more affluent peers, children living in poverty are 25% more likely to miss 3 or more days of school per month (Ready, D.. Socioeconomic Disadvantage, School Attendance, and Early Cognitive Development, 2010).
Patterns of chronic absenteeism in schools can be an indicators that a “system” isn’t working, and may help us identify issues with community health or safety, transportation, or school climate that need to be addressed and will help all students. Absenteeism can be both an indicator that a student is in need of support addressing barriers to attendance, and that a school needs support in meeting the needs of students.
Attendance improves when schools, families, and the community work together to address barriers to attendance. Learn more about how we're working together on our Community Attendance Support Team page.
Every Day Counts.
additional information and RESOURCES
To find tools and resources for addressing attendance, chronic absenteeism and truancy from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) visit: Attendance, Chronic Absenteeism, and Truancy
To learn more about "Chronic Absenteeism in the Nation's Schools- A hidden educational crisis" visit the Department of Education's chronic absenteeism page
For more information about strategies for preventing and reducing chronic absence, visit Attendance Works.
Find the contact information for your school district's Attendance Liaison here.